


The Rise of Redemption

by greencouchanonymous



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Bendemption, Canon Rewrite, Dark Rey, Dark Reylo, Eventual Happy Ending, Family, Father and Son, Mother and Son, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Redeemed Ben Solo, Redemption, Retelling, Reylo - Freeform, Romance, Truth hurts, Young Ben Solo, Young Rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:01:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23483491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greencouchanonymous/pseuds/greencouchanonymous
Summary: Begins roughly where The Rise of Skywalker did. Stays loosely with the movie until I feel it can’t anymore. Essentially, this story is about Kylo Ren/Ben’s journey of redemption and Rey’s struggle with who she is and the realization of what their future could be together. The first few chapters will be shorter as I get a real feel for how to take the story deeper, but I’m hoping to end with at least 50 chapters.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 18
Kudos: 36





	1. The Oracle

_Come to me_.

Snoke had barely been dead a day when the voices crept their way back into his mind.

This time though, there was another voice.

Darker, more sinister.

It called to him.

_Come to me._

Despite his best efforts the voice played on a loop in his head, circling and winding its way through his thoughts.

In the last few months since becoming Supreme Leader, he’d done little other than reorganize the command of the First Order after the attack on the Supremacy and the battle of Crait.

He’d spent more time than ever alone.

Pouring over ancient texts and bits of old holograms from the remains of the Empire. Always searching for an answer to an unknown question.

Always looking for a distraction from the voices, the anger, the pain-

A distraction from... _her._

Each day had been harder. The more he tried to push her very existence from his mind, the more prominent she became.

Even though she had refused his hand, and closed the door on him, he could feel the tether of their bond lingering in the most far away parts of his mind.

He didn’t dare reach out. He wouldn’t know what to do if he did and he saw her again, standing before him with that mixture of hope and disappointment in her deep hazel eyes...

No, he had other things to keep him occupied now. He could no longer stifle the newcomer in his mind. But first he needed more answers. He’d discovered the whispers of an ancient being on Mustafar.

An Oracle.

His Tie landed on the ashy ground in a clearing of trees.

He closed his eyes and focused momentarily on the Force, readying himself for whatever lurked amongst the trees.

He’d heard that Vader Cultists had settled on the planet, worshippers of a leader lost.

He took a breath and opened the hatch, jumping out and landing so lightly he barely caused the ash to stir beneath his feet.

Continuing with soft strides he made his way through the barren trees, reaching out through the Force for the body of water said to be the home of this Oracle.

He stopped.

Vader cultists they may be, but strong with the Force they were not.

In one fluid motion he unclipped his saber from his belt, and ignited it in time to block an incoming blaster shot.

Like a well rehearsed dance, he blocked and struck his opponents.

Soon he stood alone, one on a battlefield of many.

He glanced up, catching his breath.

Then he saw it. The lake.

Slowly, he approached. Saber still ignited and ready.

‘Your weapon will be of no use to you here, young Solo’

He tightened the grip on his blade.

Slowly, ripples ran through the surface of the water, and eventually a spider-like creature emerged, perched on what looked like a giant egg...or head? Unnerving, none the less.

‘If you seek answers here, you will lay rest to your weapon.’

Hesitantly, he clicked off his saber and clipped it back on his belt. He squared his shoulders, feigning full confidence in front of this strange creature.

‘You have answers for me?’

‘You seek that which you already know.’

‘Explain yourself!’ He commanded, unable to keep his fear completely at bay.

‘You seek to know your future, your path in this life.’

‘Y-Yes.’

‘Try as you might, you will never be Vader. That is a path none should tread. Your path, young Solo, lies with another.’

His heart pounded in his chest. Afraid his voice would betray him, he simply waited for it to continue.

‘The girl. You know of whom I speak. She is your equal. Together, you form a dyad in the Force. Powerful and unseen for Millenia.’

His mind raced. Again he could not find it in himself to speak.

‘Take caution, there is another. A darkness from days past that seeks to corrupt your bond. He reaches out to you, from the shadows of your mind.’

‘Where can I find him?’ He says, fists clenched.

‘You will find what you seek on Exegol.’

As it spoke something began to bubble up from the depths of the lake. Involuntarily he touched his hand to his saber, ready.

Suddenly, a small pyramidal object surfaced and hovered above the water.

‘This wayfinder shall guide you. Do not forsake the words I have spoken here.’

Before he could open his mouth to speak, the creature was disappearing once again into the dark water.

His eyes shifted to the pyramid, it moved then until it was resting firmly in his hand.

_Come to me._

He gripped it, feeling a greater sense of purpose than he had in a long time.


	2. A Temporary Home and A New Plan

She loved her friends in the resistance. They had welcomed her with open arms from the first day she stepped off the Falcon with Chewie and a broken ex-stormtrooper at her side all that time ago.

At first, Finn and her shared the same awkward transition into Resistance life. But then he quickly fell into a rhythm with the daily routine of things. Although the agendas were starkly different, she assumed the basics of daily life weren’t much different than that of a stormtrooper of the First Order. Bunkers, mess halls, planning and strategizing, tasks and commands...camaraderie.

He and Poe fell into an easy partnership within the Resistance. Finn had found his place as a leader. Even Rose, having been a background part of the Resistance for so long, slipped easily into a leadership role with the other mechanics. And plus, her and Finn had found something else together. It warmed her heart to see her friends so happy and at peace within their newfound bond. And there was always Chewie-there to scoop her up into a roaring hug whenever they crossed paths.

Rey spent her days floating between them all, helping where she could. She’d also been dedicating her time to trying to decode the ancient Jedi texts she had ‘borrowed’ from Ahch-To.

Leia had helped where she could, she was the only other one on base who had any inclination of the Force and it’s many mysteries. She had been trying to help Rey with the frustrating task of reassembling Luke’s lightsaber. And even had helped her set up a training course that spanned a few miles throughout the surrounding jungle. It was hard without a saber, but as always, she made due with her staff.

But even Leia’s presence in her life was stunted. She was, after all, first and foremost a General, not a Jedi Master.  
And at times, when going over questions she had about the Jedi, or the Force, or Luke, she could see pain tucked back in the general’s eyes, haunted by days past. It tugged at Rey’s heart. It wasn’t hard to guess who her thoughts drifted to. The center of her pain. Because, to be honest, in some ways it was the center of her pain as well.

It had been months since she shut the door on their Force Bond. The lasting image of him kneeling before her, looking at her with eyes that ran deep with pain and suffering, was burned in her memory.

She had had to do it though.

She couldn’t have taken his hand.

Not like that.

Not as Kylo Ren.

Even though she shut a door, there was still an unseen tether she could feel tugging and nudging at her mind at times. He hadn’t tried to reach out to her, it was more like small tendrils of feeling that, at times, were so intense that they trickled over the bond to her. Sometimes anger, sometimes pain, but more often than not, it was an emotion she knew all too well.

Loneliness.

As much as she tried to ignore it and push the tether away, her heart ached. A part of her wanted to reach out and pull on the bond until they were standing in front of each other again.

She tried to remind herself that he was Kylo Ren, and she was nothing and no one in this universe.

 _But not to me_.

She tried to remind herself that this was her home now. With the Rebels and the Resistance. With Poe, Chewie, Finn, Rose, and Leia. It was enough.

It _had_ to be.

She couldn’t let herself face the truth that lingered on the edges of her mind. The truth that this wasn’t enough. That despite being surrounded by the best people in the galaxy-she was lonely. That she wanted more than this simple promise of friendship.

She wanted understanding, connection-and something deeper, more fierce. And in the most secret parts of her heart, she had hoped that would be with Ben.

***************

_Be with me._

_Be with me_.

Rey chanted internally as she hovered above the ground, rocks floating around her.

Each day she greeted the sunrise with mediation in the Force. Trying to still the chaos of her mind and center herself.

She hoped to see Luke. The last time she had seen him things had been...rocky at best. She still had so many questions.

Each day she asked, and each day she was met with silence.

Leia assured her that the absence was probably more due to the unpredictableness of Force Ghosts than to her own abilities. Still it left her feeling inadequate, maybe after making the choice to leave Ahch-To in pursuit of Ben, she was no longer worthy of Luke’s presence.

 _Be with me_.

 _Join me_.

She groaned inwardly and gently lowered herself to the ground. Meditating would be impossible if he was going to be lingering in her thoughts, the tether strumming with the tiniest vibrations.

As she stood, the rocks fell to the ground, forming a well worn circle around her. Till tomorrow she thought. She grabbed her staff and wound her way back to the base.

Even though it was still quite early, when she came to the clearing where most of the buildings were located, the base was already humming with busy energy.

She headed for the mess hall, her stomach growling with anticipation.

Before even looking to see who else was there she immediately grabbed a tray and piled it high, having an abundance of food like this was still so new to her.

Finally, satisfied that she had enough, she turned, searching for a friendly face.

Off to the left she found Poe and Finn already half way done eating, and appearing to be deep in conversation.

‘Good morning!’ she said, taking a seat next to Finn.

They both looked up, and gave her a quick nod in response, before continuing on.

‘This is the third source to confirm the location,’ Poe said between bites.

‘Well that’s it then, we have to do it!’ Whatever they were discussing, Finn was getting more excited by the minute.

Her interest was now peaked enough for her to take a momentary pause from her plate,

‘Do what?’ She asked through a mouthful of bread.

‘We’ve been getting reports on locations of stormtrooper base camps,’ Poe began,  
‘A few varying locations have been mentioned, but one in particular has now been confirmed by a third source.’

‘Stormtrooper base camps?’ She questioned.

‘Its where they send you when you’re old enough to start learning the...rules.’ Finn's eyes dimmed slightly at the unspoken memories.

Poe spoke up, ‘For years we’ve discussed locating these bases to try and overthrow them and rescue whoever we can. I mean, what’s the First Order without it’s army? We’ve just never had the manpower or,’ he cast a confident smile in Finn’s direction, ‘someone who knows the ins and outs and has the heart behind the mission.’

Finn nodded in agreement, ‘It’s not going to be easy, but, we have to give them a chance.’

Rose joined them now, seating herself at Finn’s other side.

She didn’t speak but gave Finn a gentle squeeze on his arm and an encouraging smile. She figured this was something Finn and Rose already discussed behind closed doors. Her support and love for him coming off in waves.

Finn turned to Rey now, ‘Will you help us? It would bode well to have someone Force-sensitive amongst us.’

They all turned to look at her now. She put down her fork, and looked to each one of their hopeful faces, saving Finn’s for last.

‘Of course.’ She said warmly. Internally she was glad to finally have something new to focus on. A new plan after being stuck in an endless rut, serving no purpose, aimlessly pouring over old books and wandering amongst the base.

‘When do we leave?’

Finn beamed at her with a relieved smile.

‘Tomorrow.’


	3. The Voice

_ Beep...Beep...Beep… _

The steady sound of the holocron lulled him into a light sleep as the autopilot guided him through the openness of space. It was the only kind of sleep he really got anymore. Little spans of it here and there. Anything more and he would be pulled into one nightmare after another. 

As he drifted off, his thoughts turned to her, to Rey. The scavenger, the Last Jedi, his equal and the other half of their dyad. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t deny that what The Oracle had said was the truth. The connection they shared wasn’t normal, it was something much more special. He remembered that unexplainable pull he felt when he saw her for the first time in the forest on Takadona. Then the stirrings of something else, something almost familiar, when he interrogated her on Starkiller Base.

Briefly his mind wandered to their tether, although it had been laying dormant for months, he could feel it softly humming, laying in wait for one of them to coax it awake again. 

Suddenly, the beeping stopped. 

He opened his eyes and before him was an angry red battlefield. The autopilot pausing on encountering the change of starscape. 

The red vortex seemed to pulse and shudder. The dark masses of energy and debris disappearing and reappearing without reason. An inexperienced, or even smart, pilot would turn around, but Kylo simply sat up straighter and shook the last remnants of sleep away. 

He could deny all he wanted, but piloting was all but burned into his DNA. As he readied himself, a small memory flashed into his mind’s eye. 

A small, dark haired boy in awe at the expanse of space laid out before him. A hearty chuckle behind him, and strong arms lifting him up into the captain’s chair-somehow making the view even grander.  _ Pretty amazing view huh Kid? Nothing like the sight of a million stars laid out before you, just begging for an adventure.  _ The little boy looked up at the man above him and vowed then and there that he would be a great pilot one day...like his father...

The holocron let out a single beep, as if calling him back and reminding him of the task at hand. Kylo took a deep breath to steady himself, and then he flew.

He’d never been more grateful for the small and aerodynamic design of his ship than he was right now. Black masses curled and twisted, receded and advanced without warning through the red mist. 

Finally, with one last burst of hyperdrive, he pushed though to open space once again. Before him was a dark orb of a planet, surrounded by the glow of a thousand cracks of lightning, even from his ship he could feel it purr with dark energy. 

The holocron went dark, having now fulfilled its purpose. With a resigned sigh he advanced towards the planet, letting the Force guide him to where he needed to land. 

As he approached his landing, a massive pyramid loomed, seeming to hover high enough above the ground for someone to pass under. 

He jumped out of his ship and landed on the hard ground, even through the thickness of his boots he could feel the coldness of the frozen terrain. It was cracked and broken from dozens of repeated hits of lightning. Gathering himself up to his full height, he strode towards the pyramid, igniting his saber as he went. 

Upon entering the space under the pyramid there seemed to be nothing underneath it but him. As his eyes squinted in the darkness, he could make out a round cut out on the floor, he stepped upon it with caution, when both feet were firmly atop it, it groaned and it began its descent further beneath the pyramid. 

_ At last.. _

The malignant voice tore through Kylo’s head.

_ Snoke trained you well.  _

‘I killed Snoke,’ he spat into the darkness, ‘I’ll kill you.’

He reached the bottom and let himself be pulled in the direction of the voice, as he drew closer, mammoth Sith statues loomed above him. His saber crackled bright and red against the dark blue tinge that seemed to emanate from the very core of the planet.

_ My boy…I made Snoke.  _

His breath hitched in his chest.

_ I have been every voice… _

As he drew closer, his eyes adjusted and he could see cloaked figures scurrying around with datapads and archaic tools, surrounded by tanks of cloudy liquid with bodies of...no…it couldn’t be...

_ You have ever heard… _

Snoke.

_ Inside your head. _

Darth Vader.

His stomach lurched and his head spun. 

_ The First Order was just the beginning, I will give you so much more.  _

A huge mechanical device was suspended from an outcropping of rock, something was drawing him to it. He approached with caution speaking again to the voice. 

‘You‘ll die first.’

_ I have died before. The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities many find...unnatural.  _

He stepped around the mechanical arms of the strange contraption, swinging his saber up to a defensive position, pointing directly into the face that belonged to the voice in his head. 

‘What could you, give me?’ He said coldly. 

A gaunt, pale face smiled up at him under a black hood. Eyes that weren’t eyes at all, just pale clouded orbs, seemed to burn into his very soul. Kylo resisted the urge to retreat. 

‘Everything. A new Empire. Unlimited power. Everything your grandfather could never achieve. You will rule all the Galaxy,’ he crooned.

Finally fitting the pieces of the puzzle together, he gathered the strength to speak, 

’You’re Emperor Palpatine.’

‘Yes…’ Palpatine intoned, ‘and you my boy will do what I request to fulfill your destiny.”

Kylo stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

‘End the Jedi,’ he said angrily, ‘Kill the girl.”

Without thinking Kylo responded sharply, ‘No.’

If he was shocked by his answer he didn’t show it, ‘Ahhhhh yes, I can sense your weakness for her, your  _ need.’  _ His lips curled into a wicked grin. 

Kylo swallowed thickly, not knowing how to respond to such an accusation.

‘I suppose,’ Palpatine continued. ‘If you refuse to end the Jedi’s life, there is another possibility...another way...while there is Light in her, I also sense Darkness...bring her to me and we shall show her her rightful path...go now.’

Kylo wasted no time leaving. The air in the pit was thick in his lungs. He needed fresh air and time to digest the situation. As he flew away from Exegol, his thoughts once again turned to Rey, he had a feeling he would be seeing her again, very soon. 

  
  


***************

_ Come to me.  _

_ She blinked, her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. The only light a bluish hue with seemingly no source. _

_ Come to me.  _

_ A dark and sinister voice pulled at her mind.  _

_ As her eyes adjusted, she saw before her a giant stone structure with craggled sharp edges-like a broken spider. It loomed as the centerpiece of the dark and strange room. _

_ Then she realized it wasn’t just an arbitrary formation-it was a throne.  _

_ Fulfill your destiny.  _

_ The words were Snoke’s, but the voice was not.  _

_ Suddenly a figure appeared from the shadows, tall with long, confident strides, and an unmistakable mask she had grown to hate.  _

_ Kylo Ren. _

_ Without a glance in her direction he ascended the throne. Once seated, he extended his hand seemingly at first to her... _

_ ‘Rey,’ he purred.  _

_ But before she could speak, another figure, cloaked in black as well, but smaller... _

_ The figure approached the throne and placed a slender, pale hand into Ren’s before turning... _

_ Rey’s blood ran cold, the figure smiled gauntly at her.  _

_ It was her.  _

_ Yellow eyes and sunken in cheeks, but it was her own face smiling back at her.  _

_ Come to me.  _

_ Rey stumbled backwards, misstepping and falling into a pit of darkness... _

‘Rey!’ 

‘Rey! It’s almost time to go.’

Rey opened her eyes and saw the barren brown walls of her small room. Next to her Rose stood with a look of concern. 

Rey quickly sat up, wiping the sweaty hair from her forehead. 

‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, ‘bad dream.’

‘It’s ok, just...anything you want to talk about?’ This is why she had become friends with Rose so quickly. She had such an open heart, and even though she had lost so much, she was always willing to give. 

‘No, I’m ok, but thank you Rose, really,’ She gave her friend a reassuring smile, ‘I’ll be ready to go in 5 parsecs, I promise.’ 

‘Ok, I’ll let Poe know we can leave shortly’ 

Rey swung her legs off the bed and tried to shake away the memory of her dream. It was nothing she thought.  _ I’m just anxious about the mission. _ She quickly changed her clothes and pulled her hair up into her normal triad of buns. 

She grabbed her bag, already packed from the night before, it included a small med kit, a tool kit, the pieces of the saber, and one of the Jedi texts. She stuck a blaster in her thigh holster and sighed as she grabbed her staff and tried to keep the nagging thought at bay that it wasn’t just a dream, but a vision. 

***************

‘Well it’s about time! I was getting worried you had changed your mind.’ 

She shot Finn a look that he knew all too well from her. 

‘Sorry, uh Rose are you ready with those datapads?’ 

She giggled softly to herself as Finn went to find refuge with Rose. 

‘Rey.’ 

A firm but motherly voice called to her. 

She spun to face Leia. 

She was suddenly overcome with sadness at having to say goodbye. Even though logic told her they would only be gone a few days at most, something else tugged at her like this would be the last time. 

Tears began to well up. 

‘Come here dear girl’ Leia said as she held her arms open to Rey. She fell into them, gladly.

‘Thank you,’ Rey gasped, ‘thank you for everything you have done for me.’ 

Unable to hold back, she let the tears fall freely. 

‘Oh Rey,’ Leia spoke with a soft chuckle, ‘I am the thankful one.’ She hugged her tighter. 

After what felt like half a lifetime they released each other. 

Leia wiped away her tears and rested a gentle hand on Rey’s cheek, a look of resolve in her eyes, ‘It’s all going to happen the way it’s destined to.’ 

Before Rey could ask what she meant, Poe interrupted, never one to sense a moment. 

‘C’mon Rey, we need to leave now if we’re gonna do this!’ 

‘Alright I’m coming,’ she said as she turned toward the Falcon. 

She looked back to Leia one last time before boarding, 

‘May the Force be With You, Rey’ 

With that the hatch closed, and again Rey was standing on one side of it, broken-hearted. 

‘Arrghhhhahh!’ 

‘Yes, Chewie I know I’m late’ she said softly as he scooped her up, utilizing the opportunity of his fur, she let a few more tears fall. 

  
  



	4. Messages

Since returning from Exegol, Kylo had remained in his quarters and had explicitly requested not to be disturbed for any reason, lest someone want a lightsaber through the chest. 

Before, he used to do everything in his power to  _ not  _ think about Rey. Now he let her consume almost every thought, coming to terms with the fact that they are a dyad in the Force. Inexplicably tethered till the end of this life, and possibly into the next for all he knew. 

He skimmed and scanned every book and datapad he could get his hands on, but he barely found any mention of a dyad like theirs. There were only cases of Force sensitive pairs, whose bonds were strong enough that, in times of battle, they could lock onto each other’s minds so well, that they fought almost as a single being. 

With a vexed sigh, he sat back in his chair, books, papers, and holo and datapads scattered across his desk. It was really the only part of his quarters that looked lived in. Everything else was pristine and sterile in varying shades of sleek black and gray. Despite state of the art temperature control, the room always held a certain coldness. 

As he lay his head back and closed his eyes, he thought of Rey and the warmth of her hand in his. That one small touch had ignited a burning fire within him. He sighed and stood from the desk walking towards the water carafe and glass on the small table by the door. 

Would he ever feel her touch again? 

Before he could bring the glass to his lips, the world fell silent.

  
  


***************

  
  


As they made planetfall, Rey couldn’t help but feel a meager sense of deja’vu. Pasaana was a desert planet, with vast expanses of sand, that she couldn’t help but compare to Jakku. 

The plan was to have the Falcon land on the outskirts of a small village, while the other three rebel cruisers hid, one light speed jump away, awaiting a signal. It was, hopefully, less suspicious this way. 

According to the intel, the trooper camp was about 12 miles west of the village. 

Poe, Finn, Rey, and C-3PO all trekked down the ramp of the Falcon. They would head to the village first to gather any extra intel from the locals. C-3PO would serve as a translator of sorts, much to Poe’s dismay. ‘Just stick to telling us what we need to know, ok?’ 

Rose and BB-8 would remain on the Falcon to help monitor the com channels and be ready for a quick get away if needed. Chewie stayed behind because, if the goal was to remain unnoticed, roaming the village with a Wookie wouldn’t do them any good.

They had landed the Falcon near an alcove of red, irregular rock formations. The others bemoaned the heat the second they stepped off the ramp, but to Rey it was like being surrounded by an old acquaintance. She inhaled and felt the warm desert air fill her lungs. She felt the slightest twinge of homesickness. It wasn’t that she missed her old life necessarily, scraping and starving in the sun, but some days, she missed when no one depended on her, and she had only herself to worry about. 

The group climbed up and over the jagged, dusty rocks. As they got closer to the top, they could begin to hear signs of life in the distance.

As they reached the apex of the formation, Rey couldn’t believe what lay ahead.

There were bright colors everywhere and joyous sounds mixed with the crackle and boom of tiny airborne explosions filling every inch of the small village. 

On cue, C-3PO was the first to speak, ‘It is the festival of the Aki-Aki Ancestors. The celebration occurs only once every 42 years.’

‘Well that’s lucky,’ Finn snickered.

‘Oh lucky indeed,’ C-3PO continued, ‘this festival is known for both its colorful kites and delectable sweets.’ 

The trio turned to glower at him.

‘Only what we need to know.’ Poe reiterated with a sigh. 

Facing the other two, he continued, ‘The village isn’t too large, let’s split up to cover ground faster. Finn and I will head to the left, Rey and C-3PO head to the right. Keep your com on Rey so if we need C-3PO for translation, we can reach you.’ 

Rey nodded in Poe’s direction, the commotion of the festival drawing her attention. 

‘Rey,’ Poe spoke more sternly to her, nudging her, ‘Keep your eyes up, and don’t talk to anyone you don’t have to. Got it?’

‘Yes! I’m not a child, I'll be fine.’ And with that she strode off in the direction of the village, C-3PO scuffling along behind her. 

After getting far enough out of Poe’s stern view, she stopped to marvel at everything around her. Bright colors that she had never seen before were everywhere. There wasn’t a single villager who seemed cheerless, and that noise...she had never heard anything like it.

‘What is all this wonderful noise?’ Rey implored to C-3PO. It rang in her ears, filling her with warmth and wonder. She watched as a cluster of villagers in front of her let the sounds guide their movements with ease and elation. 

‘It is called music. Vocal or instrumental sounds that combine in such a way to produce beauty and expression of emotion. There are 27 different types of music in this star system alone…’ As always C-3PO continued to babble. Rey nodded her head and pretended to hear him as she continued on her path through the village, letting herself get lost in everything around her. 

A few strides farther, she stopped to watch a gaggle of children giggling at a storyteller. They looked so happy. Much happier than Rey had been during her own desert childhood.

Without warning a small hand tugged at her own. She looked down into the bright eyes of a child. Smiling, Rey knelt down to her. 

The child started to speak in her native language. 

‘She is saying,’ C-3PO interjected, ‘Welcome. Her name is Nambi Gima.’

‘That’s an excellent name,’ Rey said warmly, ‘I’m Rey.’’

The child smiled and spoke again. 

‘She would be honored to know your family name too.’ C-3PO continued for her. 

Rey’s face fell initially with a pang of sadness, but she quickly returned a smile to the small girl, ‘I don’t have one. I’m just Rey.’

The girl gave Rey’s hand one last small squeeze with her own before running off to rejoin her friends. 

Rey stood again, wrapping her arms around herself despite the heat. 

_ Family name.  _

She sighed, would she ever have one?

Suddenly, the world around her went silent. Her heart skipped a beat, now sounding so loud in her own chest. She turned slowly. After months of silence between them, there he stood. 

She couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped her, her eyes finding his right away. Those deep pools of bronze, drawing her in. 

In a pitiful attempt to regain composure, she squared her shoulders, and tried to look as indifferent as she could manage. 

‘What do you want?’ She huffed. 

‘We need to talk.’ His voice was low and calm, as if he knew she would put up a fight. 

‘What could we possibly have to talk about?’ She spat, her heart racing a little bit faster, ‘If you’re going to ask me to join you again, you can forget it.’

‘I just want to talk. Things have...happened and there are things you need to know.’

How was he so calm? And why did he have to make his voice sound so velvety and...inviting.

‘If there’s something you so desperately need to tell, then please, get on with it.” 

Best to get it over with, she thought, let him say what he needed to and then she could be on her way. Continue on with her mission. 

‘I think, it's best if we meet in person. You know neither of us have control over how long the bond stays open.’ He was speaking more rushed now, as if his own words were dawning on him, and he was worried he was running out of time. 

‘If you think for a second-‘ and like that the bond closed as quickly as it opened. The sounds of the festival once again filling her ears. Only now it seemed much too loud and almost out of place.

Out of the corner of her eye, the glint of sunlight off gold was shuffling towards her. 

‘I say Master Rey, we must find the others. This mission is getting far too off course. The statistical chances of us completing this mission are-‘

‘I agree.’ Rey said, cutting him off, ‘Come on, let's find the others.’ Normally, she tried to be the one to have patience with C-3PO, but her recent encounter with Ben had left her more than confused. What was so important that he needed to tell her in person? All she could hope for now was to be able to carry out the rest of the mission without any more interruptions. 

  
  


***************

  
  


‘Kriff!’ Kylo shouted to an empty room, combing his hands through his hair. She was there, actually there in front of him just a moment ago. 

Her warm amber eyes were the first things he noticed when they connected. Their color in his memory didn’t do them any justice.

Trying to make the most of the incidental opportunity, he tried to speak as calmly as possible. She, of course, met him with her usual stubbornness until the bond had snapped shut again. 

He wished she would’ve given him some clue as to where she was, he was done running though his own thoughts, they needed to talk. 

But, talking had never quite been his strong suit. 

Especially with someone like Rey, who was…? What was she exactly to him? They weren’t friends. He’d never had many of those anyways. But enemies wasn’t right either. What was Rey to him then? His heart beat a little faster.

He groaned and looked at the ceiling. Why was this so hard? They were...adversaries. A match in the Force, dark and light.

But how does Darkness talk to the Light?

They were bonded and could be connected over time and space but it didn’t make the actual talking part any easier. 

Mulling over past experiences, his thoughts drifted to his parents...

Leia sat a large oval shaped desk, stacks of datapads scattered about. A scribe droid on standby to take down any notes or messages. At this moment, she was lost in a datapad on the trade law discrepancies of some planet lightyears away. 

With a loud hiss of the door, Han entered. Leia didn’t even flinch. 

‘Well hello to you too Princess.’ Han huffs playfully, ‘And here I thought you’d be glad to see me.’

He walked over to the desk and leaned against it with his arms crossed. He wore one of his famous Han Solo smirks as he waited for his wife to respond. 

Without looking up from her datapad, ‘I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow?’ She retorted causally.

‘So what? That means you can't be over-the-moon-happy to see me until then?’ Han teased.

Sighing in frustration at the interruption she looked up, ‘Maybe,’ she scowled without a single hint of playfulness, ‘or maybe, I’m just busy right now, and  _ maybe  _ if you would’ve told me you were coming in early, I would’ve been ready for you. I’ve got a lot to attend to this afternoon.’

Han, obviously disheartened by his wife’s response, sputtered, ‘What does it matter what day I'm coming in, either way I’m here aren’t I?’

Slamming her datapad on the desk, ‘It's called communication, Han. You should try it sometime.’

‘Oh kriff,’ Han groaned and raked his hands through his hair, ‘Why? Because you're so good at it yourself, your highness? By the way, when were you gonna tell me that we’re apparently moving? To Chadrilla?’

‘Just because I haven’t told you yet, doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to!’ Leia was standing now, her face flushed with anger.

‘Right,’ Han scoffed, ‘because Maker knows there were too many other things you had to attend to first.’ 

‘Exactly, just like there is always some kriffing race to be won in some other system.’

They both stood with their arms crossed, and stared at each other for a long moment, before Han eventually looked away and headed toward the door, ‘Well Princess,’ he said quietly before exiting, ‘I’ll leave you to your work then. See you tomorrow.’

Leia said nothing in return, simply sat back down and picked up her datapad again like nothing had happened. 

And there, in the corner of the room curled up with a book, sat five year old, Ben Solo, taking it all in...

Suddenly, the comlink on his desk flickered to life, pulling him out of his thoughts.

‘ _ Sir _ .’

Even through the static of the comlink the petulant voice of General Hux made his skin crawl. He groaned internally, whatever miniscule headache Hux was bringing to his attention this time, he had no patience for. 

‘There’s been an attempt on the Stormtrooper base on Pasaana.’

‘An attempt, General?’ He responded with an aloofness that he knew drove Hux mad, ‘What care is it of mine how poorly you maintain your precious camps?’

There was a pause on the other end, Hux was no doubt collecting himself before responding. 

‘We have a good reason to believe, Sir, that it was an act on behalf of the Resistance.”

Kylo didn’t respond, feigning disinterest in the matter, despite now finding himself very interested in what he had to say. As he predicted, Hux continued, 

“There were sightings of the Jedi girl.” 

_ So that’s where you are.  _ He thought.  _ On Pasaana with the Rebels making poor attempts at rescuing Stromtroopers.  _

‘Sir?’ Hux was still on the com waiting for some sort of response or command from him. 

‘Refresh me, General Hux, where are the other bases located?’ 

With evident reluctance Hux responded, ‘There are other trooper base camps on Geonosis, Yavin IV, Endor, and Kef Bir.’

Kef Bir  _ and  _ Endor? The First Order had a sense of humor after all. 

‘I suggest, General, you  _ attempt  _ to improve your security at these other bases. Or I may need to take action myself and do your job for you.’

The com simply clicked off, without a response. Kylo almost smiled knowing how easily he had gotten under Hux’s skin. He returned to the seat at his desk, mulling over all that had happened in the last few hours. 

Hux may be an irritating idiot, but there were times he had his usefulness. 

If he wanted to get Rey to trust him enough to at least talk, this would be a good place to start. 

Grabbing his holopad, he set it to send a message and typed in the names of the remaining bases. He then encrypted it so it couldn’t be traced back, and typed in a recipient code that, even though it had been years since he last used it, he carried it in his memory since he was a boy. There was a slight hesitation before he hit send, his leather clad hand clenching into an unsteady fist before Rey’s gentle, pale face, with those amber eyes, flashed across his mind. 

He hit send without a second thought and stood up, heading towards the door. 

It opened with a hiss, startling the First Order officer who happened to be passing by,

‘You.’ Kylo pointed a gloved finger at the man.

The officer pathetically tried to not shrink at the thunder of the Supreme Leader’s voice.

‘Send for the Knights of Ren.’


	5. A New Deal

‘Well that couldn’t have gone any worse,’ Poe deadpanned.

‘Arrrragggahhhaa!’ The Wookie exclaimed as he threw his hands up.

‘I know! I know! They were ready for us, even if they didn’t know we were coming. All we did was provide a good practice drill for their cadets.” Poe ran his gloved hands over his face and through his dark hair, groaning with exasperation. 

Rose laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, ‘Could’ve gone worse though, at least no one was hurt.’ Leave it to Rose to try to cast things in a positive light. 

Finn joined them and placed a hand on Poe’s other shoulder, ‘She’s right, and now we can figure out a better plan.’

Rey sat quiet. Poe’s energy through the Force was simmering with unreleased anger. 

No one had come out and said it, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the failure of the mission lay on her shoulders. It weighed heavy on her mind as she recounted the events of the day.

The base was hidden within one of the larger canyons of the Pasaanan landscape. From a distance, if you had no idea what to be looking for, you would have no idea of the massive compound tucked below. There were three larger buildings, and then four rows of housing barracks. Finn explained that the three buildings consisted of the mess hall, training facilities, and headquarters with med bay. 

They made the journey from the village by foot, trudging through hot sand and clamoring around rough formations. Once they finally reached the base, climbing down the side of the canyon wall had been an entertaining sight for Rey. She of course had plenty of practice scaling up and down wall faces with small, irregular holds. Finn and Poe, however, had way less practice. More than a few choice words escaped Poe’s mouth. 

BB8 had routed a path for them that would leave them out of the watchful eye of any roaming security droids. But even if they could avoid the droids, they still ran the high risk of encountering random officers. 

They had decided to slip onto the base by entering from the back of the row of housing barracks, and then they could conceivably enter the closest training area from there and rally the troops to fight their way out. Finn’s face and story alone was hopefully enough to convince them to abandon The First Order and make their way to the Resistance cruisers waiting a light speed jump away. 

But shortly after stepping foot on the base, they encountered a patrolling officer. He was startled at the sight of them. He was squat and fat, and must’ve known he would be no use against them, combat wise. Which also meant his reflexes were slow to reach for the comm on his belt. Seizing her opportunity, Rey tried to lightly enter his mind ‘We are not here. You’ve seen nothing and you will do nothing.’ The officer started blankly at her, stuttering over the words. Rey became nervous. _Why is this so hard?_ She fretted, back on Starkiller Base this had seemed so much easier. 

She grabbed Finn and Poe each by an arm, ‘Let’s keep moving, he seems to be distracted enough.’ She hoped neither could sense her growing embarrassment. 

It wasn’t long after that they rounded the corner into the face of a female officer. To Rey she looked no older than herself and she wondered if she’d been taken from her family and was just as forced into this life as she was. 

Her initial look of shock quickly morphed into a look of triumph. She was no doubt low in rank and was hoping the acquisition of Resistance fighters would give her the rank leverage she needed. 

‘Stop right there!’ She screetched in a trilling voice. 

_ So young.  _ Rey thought. 

Rey grimaced before waving her hand in the face of the young officer, ‘We are not here. You have seen nothing.’

The girl scoffed at Rey, ‘Rebel Scum!’ She then made a move for a datapad attached to the building’s outerwall that no doubt housed an alert mechanism. 

But seconds before her fingers could touch the pad, she was shot backwards to the floor. 

Confused, Rey looked behind her. Poe stood, stun blaster still in hand. ‘Not that I care too much, but she’ll be ok eventually, aside from a massive headache.’ He holstered the blaster and continued on the pathway, ‘Let’s keep moving before things get too out of hand.’

Embarrassment and guilt gnawed at Rey’s insides. So far, this was not going to plan. 

Luckily, they made it to one of the entrances of the training building without any more encounters.They entered into a long hall with doors that lead to smaller hallways that housed several smaller training rooms, with the largest room at the end of the hall. 

‘Probably best to start with some of these smaller rooms, convince a few groups at a time.’ Finn’s voice wavered slightly. Rey could feel his nervousness coming off in waves through the Force, tangling with her own. 

‘You’re going to be great.’ Rey told him softly. She gave him a small smile before giving him a small shove towards the first door. 

Poe entered with him, leaving Rey to stand guard with her staff. She clenched and unclenched her fists and worked on centering herself. 

_ There is nothing but the Force. Following through me. Following through all. _

Suddenly, she heard the chatter of officers in the distance, too wrapped up in squabbling about each other’s datapads to notice her at first. 

She took a deep breath, this was her role to play. She waited quietly against the wall until she was noticed.

‘I don’t  _ care  _ what Enric said, we need to push them harder. You know what the orders from General Hux are,’ The shorter, pockmarked man, with greasy black hair spoke in a whining voice. 

The taller blonde man beside him grimaced, not much could be said for his complexion either. 

‘But we’ve lost seven already, and if Ren hears about this- _ Oi!! _ ’ There it was. They’d finally spotted her. 

‘Who are you?’ The short man spat, ‘State your business!’ As quickly as they tried to draw their weapons, Rey reached her hand out and flung the blasters out of their hands. They clattered several feet behind them before either knew what was happening. 

_ Ok, this is better.  _ She thought. 

She took a few steps towards them lifting her hand, directing her energy towards their minds. 

‘‘We are not here. You’ve seen nothing and you will do nothing.’ She intoned, she tried pushing the thoughts a little further this time. 

They both stood, wide-eyed at her. 

She couldn’t tell if it had taken or if they were simply in too much of a daze from encountering a Force user in the middle of the hallway to do anything else.

The greasy one blinked hard several times and then his face grew into a sneer. 

_ Oh, no.  _

Panicking Rey quickly swung her staff from her shoulder, resorting to her long lived scavenger days, she gave each man a hard, sharp strike to their temples. 

They collapsed on the ground like heaps of bantha meat. 

Rey grimaced, not exactly how she intended matters to go. She was supposed to be disorienting the officers, not leaving them piled around like a trail of breadcrumbs. She internally scolded herself for her lack of control of herself. 

Hot tears welled up in her eyes, it was like she was taking steps backward in her training instead of forward. 

Before she could get too lost in her own self-pity, a commotion in the distance grabbed her attention followed by the high pitched wailings of alarms.

‘Rey!!’ She could hear Finn shout from several rooms away accompanied by the sounds of blaster shots.

One of the first officers they encountered had come to and sounded the alarm. 

Suddenly, a stern voice rasped over the speakers, ‘ We warned you that The Resistance would stoop to any means to infiltrate and stain the purity of The First Order. Whoever captures or kills the intruders will be  _ justly  _ rewarded.’

The scene from then on had been a blur. Poe and Finn found Rey and the three of them hurriedly retraced their steps. While Poe and Finn were supplied with blasters, Rey wearily fought her way through firing groups with her staff. She deflected blasters where she could, but her focus was waning, disappointment in herself curling around her core.

If Poe or Finn got hurt because of her… Anger at herself allowed her enough strength for one last large push with the Force. Sending a group of five cadets sailing into another. It was at least enough for them to get away. 

Chewie quickly met them at the rendezvous spot and sprinted them to lightspeed, out of danger.

But the damage was done, and Rey’s conscience nagged at her. 

Finally speaking, Rey stood and garnered what strength she could, keeping her voice even, ‘I’m sorry, that things didn’t go as planned.’

Poe looked directly at her now, fire in his amber eyes, everything that was quietly simmering, now coming to a boil. 

‘Well  _ Jedi _ , maybe if you actually knew what you were doing with that freaky mind trick thing, or at least had a working weapon, we could’ve genuinely accomplished something.’ Poe’s voice began to raise along with his temper, ‘All that time frolicking around in the forest on Ajan Kloss, or nights spent with your nose in those dusty books and this is all you’ve learned?’ Finn and Rose both tried to step in his path towards Rey but he shoved through until he was nose to nose with her. 

He lowered his voice but it was filled with no less venom, ‘Figure out what you’re doing and do it fast for the good of this mission, and everyone involved, or get out of the way.’ 

Rey swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She couldn’t find words and she feared tears would begin to fall, so she simply gave him a curt nod and then headed to the captain’s quarters with her satchel. 

No one said anything more, no one tried to stop her. 

Once safely behind the door, for the second time on this mission, she let her tears fall freely, clutching the satchel filled with the heavy Jedi legacy she could never seem to deserve. 

  
  


***************

_ Oh Rey.  _ Kylo reflected as General Hux showed him the playback from the security droids on Pasaana. 

He could care less about Hux’s precious camps being ambushed. He’d secretly never been a fan of the Stromtrooper program and how it was run. Deep down he suspected it was because he knew what it felt like to be forced into something you never wanted for yourself. 

Watching the playback, his full attention and concern was on Rey. He already knew how powerful she was, he had a daily reminder of it living in his reflection. And he knew that he couldn’t have taken down the Praetorian Guards without her. But, he also knew that raw talent alone can only take you so far.

She needed more direction and by the looks of it, a new weapon as well. 

He didn’t even want to think of what junk Skywalker had planted in her head before his convenient demise. Was that why she wasn’t using the legacy saber? Out of respect for the dead?

He felt his fists clench unintentionally. 

Hux took this as sympathetic anger. 

‘The Jedi scum needs to be dealt with.’ He spat. 

Kylo’s jaw clenched and unclenched before he spoke, ‘The  _ Jedi _ will be dealt with in due time, General.’ He couldn’t help the anger that shot through him at Hux referring to Rey as scum. 

He continued listlessly, ‘Since it appears they were unsuccessful, I suggest you pass it off as merely a target practice for your cadets.’

Hux narrowed his eyes, clearly swallowing whatever biting response he wanted to give. 

‘Yes, Sir.’ Hux left it at his curt response, before turning sharply and leaving the control room. 

Once alone, Kylo released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Despite instructing Hux it was nothing to worry about, he knew it probably wouldn’t be the last attempt by The Resistance. They were annoyingly persistent. 

Which is why he’d comm’ed the coordinates for the other bases to his mother. It was hard, and he expected to be filled with regret the second he pushed send. But instead he was filled with...hope. It felt like a foreign feeling to him after all these years. 

He pushed away the strange feelings forming in his chest and focused again on Rey. 

She needed to know what was going on. It wouldn’t be long before Palpatine was reaching out to him, admonishing him for not bringing Rey to him yet. Now his chest filled with the anxiety at being under the thumb of another master. 

He quickly exited the control room, making a determined path towards his quarters.

Rey needed to know what they were up against and she would need training to face it. 

But where could two of the most well known enemies go unseen?

His mind wandered then to something his mother told him as a kid, ‘ _ Anytime you need to escape, head to Naboo. Your heritage there will keep you safe and hidden from prying eyes.’ _

At the time he wondered why his mother was telling him this, but now he couldn’t help but thank the Force that she had. 

No sooner had he entered his quarters, than the bond blossomed open, giving him a golden opportunity. 

  
  
  


***************

  
  


She was nearly asleep when she felt the world fall away around her in that now familiar feeling of the bond opening. 

She could feel him staring at her from behind, she wondered what she was laying on from his view of the bond. Maybe if he was in his quarters it would look like she was laying on his bed. She blushed at the thought.  _ For Force sakes, why am I thinking about Kylo Ren’s bed?  _ She internally chastised herself. 

Regaining composure, she spoke first, sighing, ‘What is it now?’

‘How did it go on Pasaana?’ He didn’t sound belittling, like one would expect from a dark Supreme Leader. He sounded more amused than anything.

_ Of course you would know about that.  _ She thought, irked.

Deciding aloofness was the best weapon, ‘Fine. Thank you. Couldn’t have gone better.’

She heard a noise from behind her that she could  _ almost  _ classify as a muffled chuckle. Oh how infuriating he was. She finally sat up and stood from the bed to face him.

‘Rey.’ He spoke her name before she could lash out at him. 

She had prepared herself for a fight, a battle of words against his ridicule of her and The Resistance. But he spoke her name  _ almost  _ tenderly. No hint of mocking. There was something in his eyes that let her know he wasn’t there to fight. She’d seen those eyes before, across the glow of firelight. 

As competent as she was, all she could come up with was a terse, ‘What?’

‘I need you to trust me,’ he implored. 

She sighed. Allowing herself a moment to be honest, realizing she had no more energy for forced malice. 

‘I’ve never  _ not  _ trusted you, I do trust you, I just don’t...know what’s left to be said. You chose to stay with the First Order, and you know that I cannot have any part of that.’

She couldn’t quite bring herself to look at him when she spoke, but it felt good to finally say what had been hiding in the back of her mind for months.

He sighed, out of relief or frustration, she couldn’t tell. 

He took a beat before speaking in a resolute tone, ‘There are bigger things at play than The Resistance versus The First Order. Plus, you need a working saber, and possibly some  _ actual _ training.’

Rey looked up at him then, her face flush with embarrassment at being called out on her lacking skill set.

But...she was the tiniest bit curious at what he meant by ‘bigger things’. She opened her mouth to respond, but again, he beat her to it. 

‘Don’t worry, nothing too Light or Dark sided, just... basics.’ He said reassuringly. 

Now she was full blown interested in the sudden turn of events, where was all this coming from? This  _ decency _ at wanting to help her. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a quizzical, apprehensive glare. 

He ignored her reaction and continued, stepping closer, ‘You said you 

trust me, give me three days of your time. Just to talk and to let me help you.’

Then in a very Han Solo like gesture, he raised both his hands in the air as if in surrender, ‘And I promise to make no mention of asking you to join The First Order or of ending The Resistance. He was so close to her she could smell hints of dark leather and an earthy note like that of the veshok trees on Ajan Kloss.

‘Do we have a deal?’ He said softly, breaking her out of her thoughts.

A small, uncontainable smile found its way to her lips, ‘Alright then,’ she said softly, ‘I suppose we do.’

She swore she saw the ghost of a smile on Ben's lips too. 

‘Meet me in the middle of the Tanic village on the planet of Naboo tomorrow at noon.’ He hesitated as if he wanted to say something more, or even as if he wanted to reach out to her.

But he simply took a step backwards, and before she could say anything else, the bond closed.

She let out a breath she had no idea she had been holding. She expected herself to be flooded with instant regret. Anger at giving herself up to the moment, but instead she felt relief. And almost a sense of...hope. She smiled and stood grabbing her satchel off the floor, suddenly it didn’t seem so heavy. Squaring her shoulders, she opened the door to the quarters and strode out down the hallway to secure herself transport to Naboo. 

She found Poe slumped at the table with a tall glass of an amber colored liquid in one hand, playing Dejarik with Chewie and Finn. No doubt Rose’s suggestion as a way to diffuse the situation and get Poe’s mind off the failed mission. 

Rey walked up to the table, put her hands on her hips and looked directly at Poe.

‘I need to use one of the small pod cruisers,’ She was glad her voice came out more confidently than she felt. 

Poe simply looked up at her for a moment, the anger was gone from his eyes, replaced with pure exhaustion. He sat up then, and sighed, ‘Listen Rey, I’m sorry about earlier, I was out of line.’ 

She could tell this was hard for him, and she knew deep down he had a big heart and he cared deeply for everyone in The Resistance, herself included. 

‘You don’t have to leave,’ he said kindly, ‘We’d all like it if you’d stay.’

‘I’m not really leaving, I just need to take a few days, it's just...Jedi business, you said so yourself this would be easier if I had a working weapon. And I think some extra...meditating, would do me some good.’ She fumbled a bit over her words, suddenly feeling a little guilty about certain  _ details  _ of her plan that would be best kept unknown to every part of The Resistance. 

Poe looked her up and down once again before sighing, ‘Alright, I’ll comm one of the cruisers to get a pod ready, we’ll have to make planetfall somewhere to get you on it, but I think we could all use a regroup anyways.’

She smiled brightly at Poe, ‘Thank you.’

Poe simply gave her a gentle nod in return, before standing to down the rest of his drink, and heading in the direction of the cockpit. 

Rey felt the tightening of what she guessed was a mix of relief and nervous excitement in her stomach. This time tomorrow she would be on Naboo, doing the best or the stupidest thing she’d ever done. 


	6. Preparation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read my story so far! Seeing all the comments and the Kudos is such a wonderful feeling! Thank you again ❤️

_ I suppose we do.  _

Kylo couldn’t help but replay her words over and over in his mind. 

She agreed, she actually agreed to three days with him. 

He couldn’t deny the exhilaration that flowed through him when he thought of the possibility that three whole days held.

He couldn’t sit and dwell too long, however. He had plans to make, and as if on cue, his comm flicked to life.

_ ‘Sir. The Knights of Ren have arrived. _ ’

‘Excellent.’ 

Alone in his quarters, he allowed himself a small smile. It felt foreign on his face, but right at the same time. For maybe the first time in a long time, he felt like the Force was working in his favor. 

‘Take them to conference room 12-22 F. I will be there shortly.’

Although the excitement still flowed through him, he couldn’t very well walk into a room full of Knights sporting some dopey grin. 

He inhaled letting the dark energy of the Force surround and ground him. 

He need to play the role of menacing Supreme Leader, command the room so he could confidently leave the Supremacy for three days to join Rey on Naboo. 

Squaring his shoulders he used the Force to thrust open the doors of his quarters and strode menacingly out into the hall. He hadn’t seen the Knights since becoming Supreme Leader, and they were no doubt wondering why he was calling upon them now. 

Their loyalty to him was as important as ever. Outside of Rey, who at this point admittedly trusted him, but he couldn’t necessarily call on her loyalty to him could he?

The Knights were really all he had left of anything. They had been with him since leaving Luke, and once he became their leader had never challenged his motives in his quest for power.

As he drew closer to the conference room he could feel the swirling of dark energy clawing for his attention. 

Before opening the door, he took one last inhale of the dark power, and hardened his expression. 

All six Knights stood upon his entrance. All still bore their masks, none would dare take if off in his presence unless it was commanded. 

‘Sit.’ Kylo’s voice was stony. 

Vicrul, essentially the second in command and oldest of the group, spoke first. 

‘My Lord, allow us to extend our congratulations at your ascension to the role of Supreme Leader.’ Even through his modulator, Kylo could hear the age in his voice. 

‘Thank you.’ He replied curtly. 

‘Let us get to the reason I have called upon you now.’

He looked to each Knight around the room, reading their Force energies, before he continued. 

‘Darth Sidious is alive.’ As he spoke, he perceived only the slightest physical reaction from all of them, but there were twinges of fear, awe, disbelief, and intrigue simmering in the Force. 

‘I have gone to him on Exegol and I must take leave from the Supremacy for three days, and will be unreachable save for absolute necessity.’

‘Sir,’ Cardo spoke now, one of the more curious Knights, unafraid to ask questions. 

‘What does it mean that Darth Sidious is back? And where are you going? With that pathetic little worm General Hux vying to take your place, and not to mention that Jedi scum of The Resistance, do you really think it wise to leave your throne so exposed?’ 

Even though Kylo knew his Knights had every reason to question things now and in many ways deserved answers, he had to retain his air of authority over them.

Squinting his eyes at Cardo, he spoke in a forbidding tone. 

‘Palpatine’s presence is simply as an ally to The First Order. My current mission is on Naboo. I have business there that I wish to keep private. Your job is to watch over my post and make sure General Hux does not stage a coup in my absence. The Resistance is not yet strong enough, even with the Jedi, to attempt an attack, so I will not waste my energy on such useless thoughts.’ His voice had become louder as he spoke, laced through with anger. 

He could tell some of them some held onto reservations in regards to his decisions, but none dared to challenge him on it. 

Standing, he gave them one last command, ‘Your quarters on this ship are the same as before. Go there now and wait on my detailed instructions for each of you.’ With that he turned sharply from the table and left the room. 

A deep wave of exhaustion falling over him as he rounded the corner. He wanted nothing more than to get to his quarters. But then, halfway down the corridor, the air turned cold. It wasn’t like the bond opening with Rey, a calming of the world around him, this was something else. 

_ Heir of Vader. _

Kylo stopped dead in his tracks. He quickly swiveled around in the hallway even though he knew, there was no one. He was alone in the corridor, but not in his own head. Instinctively he slammed the parts of Rey away. Packed them tight in a corner of his mind where he hoped Palpatine could not reach. 

_ My boy... _

Kylo swallowed cold dread. He should’ve known Palpatine wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Sharp, frigid icicles sliced their way into his head. 

_ Why have you not yet come to me with the Jedi girl?  _ Palpatine spoke languidly.

Trying to center himself, he replied out loud to the cold voice in his mind.

‘I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity, I needed to get her to trust me. To listen.’

Shame trickled down his spine, if Rey ever heard him say that, she would close herself off from him for good. But Kylo knew that, to protect her and their bond, he needed to tell Palpatine what he wanted to hear. To keep that unspoken promise between servant and master. 

Fearing Palpatine could sense his ingenuity, he spoke again, ‘She’s agreed to meet me. I am going to train her and help her forge a new weapon. Then we will come to you.’

Kylo felt like ice was sliding down his throat, seeping into his lungs. Freezing them shut. 

_ Good.  _ Palpatine crooned.  _ You are proving to be a very good apprentice indeed, young Skywalker. Taking what’s rightfully yours. _

‘Yes. Master.’ Kylo’s voice was curt and quiet. Assuming Palpatine would recede from his mind now that he got what he wanted, he resumed his course down the hallway. 

_ One. More.Thing.  _ With each word sharp icicles stabbed the inside of his mind. 

_ I want General Leia Organa disposed of. She is as undeserving of the Skywalker name as her pathetic brother. You will prove your allegiance and right to rule The First and Final Order by showing no mercy to that Rebel scum. Remove the lynch pin and watch the rabble come tumbling down into your hands.  _

Kylo couldn’t speak. He felt his whole body sway and was positive that his full body weight would meet the cold granite floor. He dug up some morsel of courage from within himself to finally speak. 

‘Yes.’ It was all he could manage and he prayed to the Force that it was enough. 

He heard a vile laugh ring though his mind before he finally felt Palpatine’s icy grip on his mind recede. 

He staggered in his first few steps, leaning on the wall for purchase. 

Realizing that the last thing he needed was one of his Knights, or Hux, or even a Stormtrooper stumbling upon the Supreme Leader slumped against the wall, he straightened himself and took long hurried strides until he reached his quarters. 

Once safely behind the door, he allowed himself to sink heavily to the floor. 

So many different thoughts and emotions were tearing their way through his mind. 

_ General Organa...show no mercy...dispose of...Jedi Scum…Rebel Scum...take what’s yours… _

He shuddered as he pulled his large knees to his chest and clutched his pounding head between his gloved hands. Tears stung his eyes. He felt like a child again. Reeling from the feeling of disappointing one person to please another. Darkness churned within his chest.

Suddenly, like a bright strike of lightning cutting through a storm darkened sky, Rey and the tender thread of their bond appeared in his mind. He saw her gentle, warm face wearing that slight, almost smile she had given him the last time they spoke. When she told him she trusted him, and agreed to spend three days with him. 

Slowly, his hands fell to the floor and he let his long legs stretch out before him. The chaos of his mind ebbed and he decided everything else could wait, right now he had a lot of preparation to do. 

***************

The five companions stood in the cockpit of the Falcon. Poe had just finished speaking with the commander on the fourth cruiser. They were going to redevouz on the small planet of Hana. It didn’t have any sort of formal government or even trade system so the chances of running into any First Order lackey’ s was slim. 

It was from there that Rey would use one of the smaller pod cruisers to make her way to Naboo. Rey’s stomach did flips every time she thought of it. 

‘ _ Commander Dameron.’  _ Leia's firm voice filled the cockpit. 

‘General!’ Poe spoke differently with Leia, he held a mix of admiration and servitude in his voice. 

‘ _ Before you get into details-Lieutenant Tavers already beat you to it.’  _ Poe crossed his arms over his chest, clearly dissatisfied.

_ ‘What’s done is done, what I have to say now is much more important.’  _ Leia paused whether for dramatic effect or to see if Poe was going to tantrum about Lieutenant Tavers involvement in his mission report, Rey couldn’t tell. 

Eventually, she continued, ‘ _ There’s been an anonymous transmission. It has revealed all the remaining stromtrooper bases. So despite the outcome of this first mission, I think success is on the horizon.’  _ Leia’s voice seemed to hold all the hope in the Galaxy, it was no wonder why so many held such fierce loyalty to her. 

‘Once we reach planetfall and regroup we’ll come up with a better plan of attack. Maybe we needed to make more of a show of things this time around.’ Poe Spoke excitedly, slapping his hand on Finn’s shoulder with a grin. His mood was starkly different than it had been a few hours ago. 

‘Then when Rey returns, we’ll be ready.’ He glanced over at Rey with a reassuring smile, obviously still feeling some guilt over his actions earlier. 

_ ‘Oh? And where is Rey returning from?’  _ The General queried.

‘Apparently she’s got some Jedi business to attend to,’ Poe said nonchalantly. 

Rey grew uncomfortable at having Poe speak for her. 

‘I just need to mediate some more.’ She said softly, in a half-hearted sort of defense. 

_ ‘Ah I see.’  _ Leia replied coolly.

‘ _ Dameron.’ _

‘Yes General?’ Poe straightened to command. 

_ ‘I need to have a few words alone with our young Jedi.’  _

Rey stiffened. Something stirring the air of the Force made her nervous to speak to her alone, even though she’d spent plenty of time with just the two of them in Leia’s office as Rey poured over the Jedi texts. But this somehow, felt different. 

‘Yes, General.’ And with that Poe shooed the rest of their party out of the cockpit, until it was just Rey and the glowing green light of the comm. 

_ ‘Rey.’ _ Leia spoke softer now.

‘General.’ She replied stiffly. 

Leia let out a soft laugh at Rey’s formal greeting, before shifting to a more serious tone,  _ ‘Rey are you alone?’ _

‘Yes,’ Rey’s voice trembled, did Leia somehow know what she was really planning to do?

_ ‘Good.’ _ Leia said firmly,  _ ‘There’s something I need to further discuss with you. _ ’

Rey said nothing, her heart thrummed loudly in her chest and she waited for her to continue.

‘ _ I know I’ve already mentioned receiving the coordinates from an anonymous source. But the  _ truth _ is, that I lied. _ ’ Leia let out a resigned sigh. 

Rey’s brow furrowed, confused by the General’s words.

_ ‘I know where they came from. I can feel it. But I had to hide it from the others because...well because it would be too hard to believe and they would feel it was a trick.’  _ Panic, shame, and desperation threaded her voice. 

‘ _ It was my son. _ ’ She said it with a subdued sadness. 

_ ‘I don’t...I don’t have confirmation. The message was untraceable back to the sender, but… a mother knows. Force or not I know it was from him.’  _ Rey could tell Leia was holding back tears. ‘ _ I know I’ve faltered in my hope to bring him home. I’ve never tried hard enough to let him know how much I love him.’  _

There was a long pause as Rey processed what Leia was implying.

Rey finally broke the silence, ‘Why me?’ She asked quietly.

‘Why...Why are you telling  _ me _ this?’ She needed to know if Leia suspected their bond. Felt the mysterious connection she had with her estranged son. 

_ ‘Again, I’m afraid I don’t have an answer. All I can say is that I know you’ll understand and...I know you’ll believe me.’ _ Leia sounded absolute in her answer. 

‘I do believe you.’

‘ _ Thank you Rey.’  _ A small sense of hope found its way back into Leia’s voice. 

_ ‘Be careful on your journey and May The Force Be with You.’ _

With that, Leia exited the comm.

Rey sat unmoving as she digested the events of the last few hours. 

As unsure as she was, there were a few things she was absolutely positive. 

Leia still had love for her son and had hope for his return.

A small glimmer of Ben Solo still lived, untouched in Kylo Ren.

And Rey herself still had hope for Ben Solo, and knew in her heart that she couldn’t let him go without a fight. 

  
  



	7. The Meet Up

Rey docked the small cruiser at one of the ports outside of the village. As she climbed out of the cockpit, she could feel her fingers trembling on the latches and the straps of her satchel. 

Part of her was delighted that Ben had chosen Naboo, the second she made planetfall she was mesmerized by the lush beauty of it. She couldn’t wait to spend three whole days amongst the trees. And according to C3PO, some of the lakes and waterfalls on Naboo ran a sparkling cyan and despite the warm sun, remained crisp and cool. 

The other part of her was shot through with nerves. Here she was about to meet up with the dark leader of The First Order, in secret. 

As a failsafe, she had left a tracking beacon hidden on the Falcon that was connected to one hidden in her satchel. Just in case things got out of hand. 

‘ _ Zotalay _ !’ A tall, yet gentle, looking humanoid called out to her. 

‘Hello! I’m Rey.’ She replied with a friendly smile, ‘I need to dock my ship here for a few days , if that’s alright?’

More nerves bundled in her stomach, she hadn’t planned for this and hoped she wouldn’t have to mind trick him, she didn’t have the heart to try it again after the disaster on Passanna. 

‘Yes! Rey! I was informed of your impending arrival and your ship will be in good hands while you are here.’ He gave Rey a warm, knowing smile and a small bow before heading back into his port station.

She stared after the being, perplexed, before it dawned on her, Ben must’ve taken care of this in preparation of her arrival.

_ Guess it pays to know people in high places.  _ She mused.

Taking a deep breath, she hiked her satchel higher on her shoulder and made her way towards the village. 

Even though she had never been there before, she had no apprehension about how to get around. She let the Force guide her to their meeting spot, pulling her like a magnet to what she now easily detected as Ben’s Force Signature. The dirt path gave way to cobbled stone streets with dense clusters of buildings and road ways.

A huge fountain sculpted into a magnificent, gushing waterfall, with a high walled back stood in the middle of the village square. There were people bustling everywhere going about their daily lives, but no one so much as spared Rey a glance. At least from what she could tell, because the closer she got to him, the more his presence overwhelmed her. 

She was being pulled to the back side of the fountain, and when she rounded the corner, Rey couldn’t help but stare. 

Before her was a tall, broad-shouldered, youthful looking man with silky raven locks, leaning, arms crossed, against the fountain wall. He was still dressed in mostly black, of course, but instead of a thick, dura-woven high collar tunic, dramatic ankle-length cape, and heavy military boots, he wore a simple, black, fighter pilot jacket over a black shirt with an open collar made of a light material that hinted at the strong plane of his chest. Black trousers with- _kriff-_ a thigh holster that sported a silver DL-44 model blaster, and black wrap style boots, completed the new look. The only thing unchanged were his leather gloves.

Her heart beat strangely in her chest. This was not the Kylo Ren image she had grown to know,  _ this  _ look was much more Ben Solo. 

She just stood in front of him staring with her mouth gaping open like a burra fish.

‘ _ Ahrem.’  _ Kylo cleared his throat self consciously, straightening himself from the wall. 

‘I, uh, couldn’t exactly show up looking like The Supreme Leader.’ He looked down at his clothing as if only now realizing what he was wearing. 

Instantly, Rey snapped her mouth shut, blinking her eyes. 

The bond was swimming with a new energy. Anticipation and apprehension, and a hint of something else that she couldn’t quite place.

‘Right.’ She said more breathily than intended. Clearing her own throat, ‘It’s different..but I like it.’

Before she could see his reaction she swiveled to look around the curious, bustling village. It certainly wasn’t as bright and eccentric as the one on Pasaana, but it held a whimsical sort of charm that Rey liked. 

‘So why are we here? Are we staying somewhere nearby?’ This seemed like an odd place for him to pick. It didn’t strike her as the best location to be recklessly swinging lightsabers around. 

‘Were not staying in the village.’ He said finally. She spun back around to face him. 

‘We have a bit of a journey to get to the lake country,’ He continued nonchalantly, like they were old friends going on a trip. ‘Follow me.’ 

Rey had been too preoccupied by his appearance before to notice the bulky bags at his feet. 

He grabbed all three at once, swinging them over his large shoulder. She shifted uncomfortably, thinking of her small satchel that hung over her own small shoulder. All that she owned in this galaxy, tucked in one pathetic bag. 

‘Rey?’ Kylo had stopped a few steps away to glance back at her when he must’ve noticed the change in her Force Signature. ‘Is something wrong?’ His brow was creased and concern crept into his voice. 

Rey simply shook her head, putting her silly insecurities behind her. 

He looked visibly relieved. She wondered if he feared she was having second thoughts. 

They began walking toward the edge of the village, winding their way around groups of locals and their market tents. Rey fought the urge to stop at several of the tents simply to investigate the contents. Maybe they could come back at some point over the next few days to look around together. 

She had a picture then in her head of her and Ben, simply strolling amongst the tents in the early morning sunshine, exploring all the strange and interesting wares on display...

Catching herself in her thoughts- _ Kriff, stop acting like this is some sort of holiday-what is the matter with you?  _

They slipped down an alleyway and the faded stone streets gave way to a dirt worn path into the forest. Pulling herself back to reality, she thought of the lake country he mentioned. 

‘We’re going to a lake?’ She asked, intrigued, breaking the silence. After spending almost all her life in the dry desert, she delighted in every chance she got to be around water. 

‘Yes, my...family, owns property there.’ She could tell he was trying to speak as casually as he could.

‘Family?’ She pushed. 

‘It belonged to my grandmother,’ he paused, as if he wasn’t sure if he should continue. After a quick side glance at her, he seemed to decide.

‘Her name was Padme Amidala. She was a very beloved queen here on Naboo and later a great senator. She’s my mother’s birth mother.’ He swallowed hard after the last sentence. 

‘Wow.’ Rey said in disbelief. The history of Ben’s family never failed to amaze her. So many important people in one lineage. 

‘Wait!’ She said suddenly, the full reality of what he said dawning on her. 

She stopped and looked at him with a hand on her hip, ‘Your grandmother was a queen, and your mother was a princess, so does that mean..?’ She trailed off before clapping a hand over her mouth to suppress a small giggle. 

He peered at her darkly, sensing where she was headed. 

Rey ignored him, letting herself smile openly now, ‘So, Kylo Ren, dark Supreme Leader of the Galaxy is also a prince?! Now I’ve heard it all!’ She exclaimed.

He pursed his lips at her, whether to keep from yelling or laughing at her she couldn’t tell. 

‘Sort of.’ He responded haughtily, ‘Queens are  _ elected  _ here on Naboo, bloodline doesn’t have much to do with it. And Alderan is dead, so any connections tied to it are meaningless.’

‘If you say so.’ She said teasingly.

Clearly not knowing what to make of this playful shift in their interactions, he shuffled the bags over his shoulder, and pointed ahead of them. Desperately trying to change the subject. 

‘There’s a small transport up ahead in the clearing that will get us the rest of the journey to the estate.’

_ ‘Estate?’ _ Rey said suspiciously. ‘Hmm, an estate by the lake, that belonged to your grandmother, the Queen...I know I’m just a scavenger, but it sounds pretty  _ royal _ to me.’ She flashed one quick mischievous smile before heading down the path ahead of him to the transport. 

She could’ve been mistaken, but behind her, she swore she heard him mutter under his breath, 

_ May the Force Be With Me.  _

********************

In his entire life, Kylo Ren couldn’t remember being so nervous. 

Even though he had no reason to doubt her, he was so afraid that Rey wouldn’t show up. Surely she would’ve come to her senses and stayed with The Resistance?

But she  _ had  _ shown up. 

He’d felt her almost the second she landed her crusier on Naboo. Her signature was hard to miss. It was a comforting, silvery light in his mind.

When he finally saw her round that corner, he felt his breath hitch in his chest.

What happened after that felt like a blur of emotions. The Force around them rolled in waves with each new feeling-anxiety, surprise, awkwardness, curiosity, and a newfound hint of playfulness that left him dazed. 

But once they boarded the transport, conversation fell to a standstill. 

Kylo’s hands felt sweaty beneath his gloves as he glided the vessel out of the trees. 

He stole a quick sideways glance at Rey, who seemed to be much more at ease than he was. 

Her eyes were fixated on the landscape as they made their way over dense, emerald treetops towards the vast mountainscape ahead. Her face settled into an expression of awe and wonder, she reached one hand forward, resting it lightly on the glass, as if checking to make sure it was all real and not a holo. 

He felt a rush of affection come over him, seeing her so at ease in his presence felt like a small, yet important victory in the progress of their bond. 

‘Why the blaster?’ Rey’s inquisitive voice broke the silence. 

She had turned now in the co-pilot’s seat to face him completely. Her hazel eyes were curious and expecting. 

‘It’s best to not have rumors circulating the village that there are lightsaber wielding Force users nearby.’ He explained. 

She seemed to contemplate this for a moment before continuing her questioning, ‘I’ve never seen you use a blaster, do you normally carry one?’

‘No,’ he mused lightly, ‘I haven’t used my blaster in a long time.’

‘Actually,’ he continued contemplatively, ‘I don’t think I’ve used it since I was a boy.’

‘You were you using a blaster when you were a kid?’ Rey asked, shocked. 

‘Leia wasn’t too happy about it,’ he chuckled thinly at the memory, ‘I got it from an old friend of the family. His name was Lando Calrissian. He claimed that with parents like mine I had better learn at an early age to be ready for anything. I genuinely had fun shooting the damn thing, at least until I made my first saber...’ he trailed off then, lost in memories long forgotten. 

Rey gave him a moment before speaking again, ‘Are you really going to help me build a new lightsaber? Do you have all the supplies? How far from the village are we going to be? Will we be there soon?’ 

Pulling free of his own thoughts he looked at her with a wry smile, ‘Are you going to spend the next three days asking me questions?’

She pursed her lips before returning a delicate smile of her own. 

_ Kriff. _

If she was going to keep smiling at him like that, he wasn’t sure he would survive the next three days. 

Before he could let his reaction to her slip down the bond, he gestured to the viewport, ‘Where we're going isn’t much farther. It’s just around the side of this mountain.’ 

‘Keep watching.’ He directed softly, ‘You’ll want to see what’s coming.’

Without hesitation Rey spun her seat back to face the viewport, sliding herself to the edge of her seat in anticipation. 

The swell of delight that hit him from her end of the bond was beautiful. But not as beautiful as the look that shaped her face when he maneuvered the transport around the last curve of the mountain, revealing a tumbling, sapphire waterfall that spilled out into a serene, expanse of lake. 

Her eyes widened when she spotted the lavish, terra cotta home with lake-hued capped towers, tucked elegantly into an alcove of the lake. 

‘It’s beautiful.’ She breathed, both hands now pressed firmly on the glass, as if she sought to leap forward and come tumbling down into the cerulean water. 

_ Yes, you are. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank everyone for continuing to read my story! I appreciate all the love!


	8. The Arrival

Rey almost couldn’t believe that the scene before her was real. She had never seen anywhere as magnificent as Naboo. It made everywhere else she'd been look like a trash heap. The house or estate or whatever it was called was so striking. Larger than any rebel building she’d been in. It had a soft, sandy colored finish with smooth sapphire domed towers, and ornate stone balconies overlooking the tranquil lake. 

Ben landed the transport in a small clearing. But before they could even exit the cockpit, a slender woman, about Leia’s age, dressed in bright blues and greens rushed out of the house to greet them. 

‘Master Ben!’ She hailed him with a welcoming grin. ‘I am so happy you have decided to pay a visit to Varykino. This villa is far too beautiful to be left empty. Heavens, look at how much you’ve grown! You're almost as tall as the trees! The last time you were here with your mother you were so small you probably don’t even remember.’ She trilled excitedly, gesturing with one lanky hand to Ben’s towering stature. 

Rey spared a glance at Ben, he looked wholly uncomfortable, a twinge of pink bloomed on his cheeks. 

‘I...um...I mean we thank you for getting it ready for us on such short notice.’ He ground out cautiously. 

The woman looked from Ben to Rey then, and her smile grew wider as she trilled again, throwing her hands up in the air.

‘Oh for Force sakes, where are my manners?! Hello, my dear, I’m sorry I should introduce myself. My name is Dalma Naberrie. I am the caretaker of the Varykino Villa Estate.’ She extended a slender, tanned hand to Rey. 

Rey couldn’t help but spare a small laugh of her own, ‘I’m Rey. It’s nice to meet you.’ 

Dalma held Rey’s hand between both of her own, ‘I simply cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have a young couple here again. It’s marvelous!’ She exclaimed, releasing Rey to throw her hands in the air again. 

Now it was Rey’s turn to blush. Sensing Ben was trying his best to vanish into the ground at this point, she soldiered on. 

‘Well, um...Varykino is absolutely stunning. I’m so delighted to be here.’ She didn’t quite have the heart to correct Dalma on her and Ben’s  _ affiliation,  _ but what she said was the truth. She  _ was  _ delighted to be there. 

She felt a flare of something on Ben’s end of the bond. She flashed him a quick smile before letting Dalma link her arm with Rey’s as they set off on a tour of the villa. Ben gladly fell in behind them. 

Dalma circled them through the kitchen and dining hall, and then through various drawing rooms and sitting rooms and other posh rooms that Rey would never remember the names of. Everything was more luxurious than she’d ever seen. She felt every part the dirty scavenger girl that she was surrounded by all the grandeur. 

Finally, they reached the end of one of the many hallways. 

‘Now I did prepare two separate rooms, per your request,’ She explained, turning to look at Ben, ’but one of them is rather large, it’s the main bedroom that includes a balcony. I wasn’t sure who’d belong to which room or if perhaps you had changed your mind and would only be needing one…? She trailed off with a sly grin, glancing between them. 

Ben stiffened at her implication and turned to Rey, ‘You can have the main bedroom, as technically, you’re my guest.’ The way he said the last part twinged at a memory from months ago. 

‘Well! Now that that’s settled, I will be taking my leave for the day. I’ve already shown you where the service droid is located so you’ll be fine for dinner. My home is not far from here, comm me if you need anything, otherwise, I will see you both tomorrow.’ And with one last little smile and bow, Dalma left them standing there, alone in the hallway. 

Rey spoke after a few quiet moments had passed.

‘Thank you.’ She offered, ‘for the room. This all is way more than I expected.’  _ Or deserve.  _ She thought glumly. 

Ben had seemed to relax a bit now that Dalma had left. 

‘Of course.’ He replied, before biting his lip in hesitation. 

‘I, um, also brought you a few things. Last I knew the resources for The Resistance were pretty limited.’ He pulled one of the large black bags off his shoulder, along with Rey’s leather satchel and offered them to her. 

She was taken aback. ‘This whole bag is for me?’ She asked, so incredulous that she couldn’t even muster a retort for his insult of The Resistance. 

‘Yes?’ He, in turn, seemed confused by her reaction to his offering. 

‘That’s so...thoughtful of you.’ She reached out and took the bags from his gloved hand. Her arm dipping once she bore the full weight of it. It was  _ heavy.  _

Ben seemed unsure of whether to be embarrassed or pleased by her reaction, ‘I hope you’ll find everything to your liking.’

He slung a second bag off his shoulder, ‘This one has everything you’ll need to make your new saber. We can start right away on that tomorrow, if you’d like?’

‘Yes!’ Rey blurted, unable to contain her excitement. 

‘Good.’ He actually gave her a tiny smile then, and she momentarily forgot how to breathe. 

‘Well,’ he continued, adjusting his gaze to the floor as if flustered by his own smile, ‘It’s been a long day so far and I’m sure you’d like some time to get adjusted to your quarters. I’ll have the service droid bring you your dinner in an hour and we’ll plan on meeting in the dining hall tomorrow morning.’ With his face now reset to an impassive mask, he looked to her again. 

She simply nodded her head reassuringly in response, as she took tentative steps toward her room. 

‘Goodnight Rey,’ he said, lowering his voice, ‘if you need anything, well, you know how to reach me.’ And with that he disappeared into the room across from Rey. 

After staring after him for probably one moment too long, Rey picked up her- _ kriffing heavy- _ bags and walked into her room. 

Her jaw hit the floor. The floor itself was a blindingly white marble run though with wisps of black. The bed looked like it could fit ten of her at the least, she had never seen anything so ridiculously big. That is until she walked into the fresher. There was a bath tub, a real bath tub. She’d never seen one of course, any of the bases she’d been at, all they’d been lucky enough to have were a few rusty showerheads with semi-lukewarm water. 

She ran her finger tips delicately over the edge of the tub. It was cool and smooth, and she easily knew exactly how she would spend the rest of her night after dinner. 

Reluctantly pulling herself away from the tub, she remembered the black bag Ben had given her, and she approached it with curiosity. 

What in the Force could he have packed for her?

Kneeling down, she slowly unzipped it and peered inside. 

She didn’t know where to start. 

At the top, there were lightweight training tunics and leggings, and a new pair of soft leather fighting boots, not unlike the pair he wore himself. 

She carefully pulled out the three outfits and new boots, she had never owned clothes so nice. Even though black was his color of choice, the clothes he got for her were in soft grays and tans. She stood and laid them gently on the bed. She smiled, unable to contain her joy. 

Receiving the clothing and boots alone was a beautiful surprise, but there was even more to discover in the mysterious black bag.

Next she pulled out something that was even softer than the tunics. It was a shiny, slippery material. And where everything else was muted, the color of this garment was a vibrant lilac. As she held it up she realized it was a dress...or a nightgown? A small wave of embarrassment rolled over Rey. She’d never worn either in her life so she honestly had no way to tell the difference between them. 

That too she placed on the bed. 

_ What other strange treasures have you brought me Ben Solo? _

It was quite a random assortment of objects in the bottom of the bag. A silver handled hair brush and matching comb, different bottles of sweet and flowery smelling liquids, that she assumed were for the bath tub, and to her surprise, a small round hover droid. 

Placing the droid on the floor she tentatively pushed the button on the very top. The little ball whirred to life and shot up into the air. 

_ Hello. I am A11, personal assistant droid. Please state your name.  _

‘Um, Rey?’ 

_ Hello, Rey. I will be happy to assist you. Please ask me a question. _

‘Interesting.’ Rey mused. 

She circled the droid before deciding on her first question.

‘Why are you here?’ It was a stupid question maybe, but she was interested to hear A11’s answer nonetheless. 

_ Kylo Ren has programmed me to assist you, and only you, however you see fit.  _

‘Hm,  _ very  _ interesting.’ 

She looked over to the clothing on the bed, particularly the purple gown. 

_ Worth a shot I suppose.  _

‘A11. What is the purpose of this garment?’ She inquired pointing to the bed. 

_ The purpose of this garment is to sleep in.  _

‘Oh, well good. Thank you A11.’ She said cheerfully to the little droid. 

_ You are most welcome Rey.  _

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. 

Part of Rey hoped it was Ben, so she could thank him for his kindness. 

But it was only the villa’s service droid bringing her dinner. Still, she stole a peek out into the hall, just in case. 

After she scarfed her meal, she eyed the fresher eagerly. 

Rey grabbed the collection of bottles from Ben and set them on the edge of the tub. Again, she had no idea what she was doing. On Jakku, bathing at all, in any capacity was a luxury itself. And despite the pretty easy access to showers, The Resistance only gave out a stale smelling, standard issue soap to everyone. 

‘A11!’ She called. 

The droid flew its way into the fresher next to her.  _ Yes, Rey? _

‘Can you tell me what each of these is for?’ 

_ Most certainly, the largest is to pour in the water. The next two are for your hair. _

She eyed the bottles nervously, picking up the largest in her hand. 

‘Well,’ she said, popping the top, ‘worth a try I suppose. I’ve come this far.’

What felt like hours later, Rey finally plucked herself out of the tub. 

It was the most amazing and relaxed she ever felt. The mixture of the warm water surrounding her, and the heavenly scents of the soaps, had her melting. 

Now she stood in front of her bed, biting her lip and dripping bathwater onto the polished floor.

The purple nightgown. 

It was an innocent enough thing. It was just a scrap of clothing to sleep in like anything else. But, this was soft and silky and beautiful. And it was from Ben. It felt intimate in a way that should have scared her, but didn’t. Shaking her head she grabbed it and quickly pulled it over herself. 

It was like  _ wearing  _ a bath, falling smoothly on her skin. She would most definitely need to thank Ben for this treasure tomorrow. Her thoughts drifted to Ben then, she wondered what he was doing in his own room, wondered what he wore to sleep in...

_ Kriff, I need some sleep. I’m losing my mind.  _

For one of the first times in her life, it didn’t take long at all for her to fall into sleep after crawling in bed. 

****************

Kylo sat at the edge of his bed. 

His nerves were on edge as he wondered what Rey thought of the things he had gotten her. 

He knew enough about The Resistance to know that you pretty much had what you brought with you and judging by the shock on Rey’s face when he handed over the bag, gifts weren’t something she was used to either. 

The last 24 hours felt like a blur. So many emotions had coursed through him in such a short time. Emotions he’d buried and forgotten years ago. 

Despite his nerves, his eyelids felt heavy. His room wasn’t as spacious as Rey’s probably was, but it was still heaps bigger than his quarters back on the Supremacy. Color scheme was a bit of an adjustment, however. He was used to cold durasteel and polished black.

Here, everything was gilded and ornate and too much. 

Still he was glad he was here.  _ Delighted  _ was the exact word that Rey had used. 

Just as it had the first time she said it, he felt a shock of incredulous joy ring through him. 

Maybe at the end of these three days, they would be leaving together. And not for him to bring her to Palpatine. No, that was never the plan. He’d rather fall on his own saber than give up Rey to that decrepit Sith. 

They’d surpassed being enemies, that was clear the moment she met him in the middle of a village, on a planet she’d never been to, in secret. Maybe allies or...friends was a better term, or maybe even something more than that…

_ Kriff, I’m losing my mind.  _

Standing from the bed, he riffled through the third bag he’d brought with him. He pulled out his lightsaber and placed it on the gaudy table next to the bed. There was never a night he slept without it close by. 

He rubbed his tired eyes, and then kicked off his boots, and removed everything but his pants before climbing into the hideously comfortable bed. Whether it was from the weight of his emotional exhaustion, or the nature of Naboo itself, he didn’t know, but that night he fell asleep quicker than usual. 

It was also the night he had his first dream about his grandmother. 

*****************

_ Kylo felt like he was submerged under water. He could see his immediate surroundings but everything was muffled. He was on a ship but he’d never seen it before, and he couldn’t move. All he could do was look at what was in front of him.  _

_ There was a small sandy-haired boy seated on the floor, shivering.  _

_ A young girl, only a few years older he guessed, dressed in vibrant hues of orange from head to toe, crouched next to him. She had a pretty and amiable face that was almost familiar.  _

_ She gave the boy a warm smile as she pulled a blanket over him. In return he handed her a necklace with a small hand-carved trinket attached.  _

_ Kylo still couldn’t hear what they were saying, but even from just their small exchange, he could tell there was great affection between them.  _

_ Suddenly, he was pulled from the scene and the world twisted around him. He figured he probably couldn’t get sick in his own dream, but he shut his eyes tightly, anyways. _

_ Once it felt like the world came back to a standstill, he slowly opened his eyes.  _

_ A huge stadium with at least a hundred round balconies was laid out before him. It appeared to be an assembly of some kind with almost every balcony filled with every manner of species in the galaxy. In the center, two independent pods were suspended in air.  _

_ He still felt like he was underwater, held immobile by some unknown motive. But this time, at least he could hear.  _

_ In one of the floating pods an older, white haired man in long, senatorial robes, who again held a certain familiarity about him that Kylo couldn’t place, addressed the three members of the other pod.  _

_ ‘To state our allegations, I present Queen Amidala. Recently elected ruler of the Naboo, who speaks on their behalf.’  _

_ It was the same young girl, now with a pale, painted face and a dramatic gold and burgundy headdress. She stood and approached the podium.  _

_ Queen Amidala.  _

_ His grandmother.  _

_ ‘Honorable representatives of the Republic. I come to you under the gravest of circumstances.’ _

_ She spoke in the regal, commanding tone and dialect of the High Republic, not unlike the one he’d heard his mother use so often in his childhood.  _

_ ‘The Naboo system has been invaded by the droid armies of the Trade-‘ _

_ She was immediately cut off by objections and contention from the pods around her.  _

_ ‘I object!’ _

_ ‘There is no proof!’ _ __

_ ‘Lies!’ _

_ Kylo watched his grandmother. He never really realized how incredibly young she was when she was Queen. Barely out of childhood, and yet here she was standing tall and determined, with all the strength and eminence of a Queen twice her age.  _

_ Above the discord, the man who was addressed as Chancellor, rallied against his grandmother, who bravely raised her chin and spoke with clear conviction.  _

_ ‘I will not defer. I've come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty now.  _

_ I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee.’ _

_ With that the assembly ripped apart in chaos, and he was sent tumbling in circles again.  _

Kylo nearly jerked out of bed. He felt like he had been falling and was abruptly slammed back into reality. Sweat drenched his hair and the sheets around him, his hands balled into fists. 

It wasn't unusual for him to wake so suddenly. His typical nightmares tended to end with that same body-wracking fear. But this was different. This was no nightmare. This was a dream that was also somehow a memory. It was strange, he’d never really knew much about his grandmother other than that she was a Queen turned Senator, who obviously had a very lavish and elaborate taste from the state of her home. So to dream of her now was...interesting. 

He ran his hands through his sweat soaked hair, and glanced at the chrono next to the bed. Kriff, at least this strange dream had good timing. He would have just enough time to grab a quick shower, gather everything they would need for the day, and get downstairs in time to meet Rey for breakfast. 

_ Rey. _

His already racing heart sped faster as the events of the previous day registered in his mind. 

Nervously, he slipped down the shining thread to her end of their bond. He could feel that she was still here. Sleeping, but still here. He carefully crept his way back, praying he didn’t wake her. 

Relieved now that she hadn’t come to her senses and fled in the night, he stretched his long limbs out of bed.

He headed toward the fresher, pleading to the Maker as he went. 

_ Please, let this day not end in disaster.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I want to thank everyone for the comments and kudos! ❤️

**Author's Note:**

> I started this out of a need for closure after seeing The Rise of Skywalker. I originally had zero intent to post but I’ve read so many other beautiful Ben Solo/Rey/Reylo centered stories on here and they have helped me a lot. So I figured maybe I would share the love and bring my own voice to the mix. Thank you for reading :)


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